Hatter Farm: Story of a City Girl Turned Country
by Raesha Valentine
Summary: This is my first story on here: It's about a girl who's father left her a farm after he died. Matt answers the door one day and finds a man claiming to be her late father's best friend and tells her about her farm. She agrees to go and check it out.
1. Chapter 1: A farm of her own

CHAPTER 1: 

A farm of her own

Matt woke up with a start. Someone was at the door. With a sigh, she climbed off the coach. _So much for a catnap_, she thought to herself. To her visitor (whoever they were) she hollered, "I'm coming!"

She walked over to the door and pulled it open. Standing in the doorway was a man who was easily over 6'. He was dressed in a pair of old jeans and t-shirt. His dark brown hair showed off his tan and muscles. He looked to be about forty and was very handsome in a dark and mysterious sort of way.

"Um, hello? Can I help you?" Matt asked in a confused sort of way. She had never seen this man before.

"Yes. I'm Jason Mayler. I was a friend of Matt's father. Is he in? I have some important news for him."

Matt stared. "Y-y-yeah…" she faltered. "Come on in," She led him into the living room. Gesturing to the couch, she asked him if he wanted a drink.

He shook his head. "I had a drink of water on the way here. Where's Matt?" He asked, scanning the room. The room was decorated femininely; the walls were white, the carpet sky blue and the white furniture had a blue floral pattern. It was obvious a woman had decorated the house.

They both sat down; Matt sat in an armchair and Jason on the sofa. Matt cleared her throat. "I think you're a little confused. Joe Sandler didn't have a son named Matthew, or Matt. He had a daughter named Matilda. He hated that name. He called her Matt instead, and it just stuck." She narrowed her eyes. "Why are you here? Joe died years ago."

Jason just stared. He shook his head. "I can only tell this to Matilda, or Matt. Her father wished it that way."

She leaned closer to him. "You claim to be a friend of Matt's father." She tilted her face upwards so he could see her green eyes. "I ask again, why are you here?"

Jason smiled. "Your eyes," he said. "They're Joey's eyes. Your hair's his too. There are a lot of similarities between you and he." He raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you just tell me who you were to begin with? It would have saved a lot of trouble. And time. I also wouldn't have been so confused."

"I was making it more… interesting. Besides," she said, eyes twinkling, "you look like someone easy to joke around with."

"I should have guessed you were Joey's kid. He told me a lot about you. Everything but the gender, it seems. He said you liked to joke. Can you really climb a tree faster than a squirrel? I find that hard to believe. You seem too… " He stopped, unsure of what to say.

"What, pretty?" She asked, frowning. She WAS pretty. Her golden blonde hair hung down to her slim shoulders in a French braid. She was slim, but still curvy. Her clothes (today a pair of jean cut-off shorts and a t-shirt) often showed off her figure. Even though she knew she was pretty, she was never conceited about it.

Jason blushed. "N-n-no…" he said quickly. "That's not what I meant. You seem too… too… feminine almost…" he faltered. "I don't know!"

Matt started to laugh. "Calm down!" she said between giggles. "I wouldn't expect me to be that kid either. And I hate squirrels. Now, back to the reason you came. Why? What do you need to tell me?"

Jason cleared his throat. "Your father and I decided to buy a farm together. We had been friends for years. The farm did great; we made a huge profit. Then, Joe got sick. You were about nine at the time." He paused. "He kept getting sicker and sicker. I tried to get him to come to the city to get treatment but he insisted that Dr. Max was good enough. As you know, he didn't pull through, regardless how hard the doctor and I tried to save him. He signed a will, and left everything to you. The farm, the profits we made, everything on one condition, of course. I was to be allowed to stay on the farm in my house. I was also allowed to use the money you inherited on the farm. For repairs, animal feed, medicine, that kind of stuff."

Matt nodded. "Tell me," she asked, "What's the farm like? What animals are there? Is it a dairy farm or a plantation? I want to know."

"Why should I tell you when I could show you? We can go there now, if you'd like. It's kind of a long drive, so you'll need clothes. You should dress to impress; you need to meet the townsfolk. They are all nice people, even though some of them are weird."

"What are the people like? Are there any other farmers there?" She asked hopefully.

"Yes. Vesta Polder. She has a farm. Not as large as yours, but still a decent size. Her brother Derek moved to the farm to help out and clear his lungs. He used to work in a factory and had gotten very sick, so the city doctor recommended he move away from the city. Vesta also took in a girl from Nater. Her name is Rachel. She's twenty-five. She's a pretty girl, and knowledgeable about crops and such. She's very sweet, but shy. " Seeing her confusion he added, "Nater is the town that has a hardware store, a post office, a grocery store and not much else. Compared to the Valley, though, it's huge."

"Now, in the town part of the valley there's an Inn. Tim and Ruby Triller run it. Their son lives there with them. He's in his mid-twenties, I think. Ami Render lives in the Inn too. She's a traveler who seems to have found a home in the Valley. She's about your age, I'd guess."

"Harry Griffin runs the bar with the help of Nicole. She washes glasses and entertains the customers. She's always flirting with the men that come into the bar. Sometimes I wonder how Harry puts up with her. Anyhow, she lives in the attic of the bar. She's a few years older than you."

"Dexter and Samantha White is a married couple that live in the two-story house. They have a little daughter, who's more of a tomboy then a girl." Matt grinned. Jason continued. "Dexter is a genius. He commutes to work in the city for some huge computer company. Samantha stays home and tends to Katie. Next door to the Whites live Galen and Nina Harcross. They'll an older couple that moved to the valley for their retirement."

"The house next to them is where the Johnson's live. Whit and Chrissie live in a larger house. Their son, Sam, is only about five years old. He adores his dad and anyone else who plays with him. Chrissie commutes to work and Whit stays in the valley and basically runs around and exercises. Kind of weird if you ask me, but…"

"No one asked you." Matt replied with a grin.

"Right. Up above the Valley there's a large villa. Romana Green lives there with her granddaughter and their butler. Luna is only about thirteen, but is already a beautiful piano player. Sebastian is the butler. She, as you can probably guess, is not at all poor."

"Kali and Tommy are twins. They make fireworks. Closer to the coast lives a hippie. I don't remember his name. There's also an artist. He lives in a metal trailer and makes metal into art. Or at least that's what he says. I think its just junk."

"Up by the waterfall there's an archaeological dig. Carter and Flora live in a tent up there. They are almost always digging. They love help and will often pay you or let you keep the stuff you find. Oh, yeah. Van Friar travels to the town every other day and will buy stuff from you, whether it's milk or crops or basically whatever. He's not very picky."

"Dr. Max lives across the valley, right by the coast. He travels around and helps everyone. He also takes care of animals. He's a nice man; your father and me have always gotten along with him. Well, that's everyone. Oh, yeah. There's this one man. He's one of the greatest men alive. Handsome as sin and smart as can be. His name is Jason Mayler."

Matt grinned and threw a pillow at him. "You have no shame. And, I think you like Rachel." She began to laugh. "That look on your face is priceless."

Jason turned red. "N-n-no I don't! Don't! I DON'T LIKE HER!" He glared at her.

"Oh, my god! You do! You're as red as a tomato. This is so funny! Can I tell her once I meet her? Please?"

"No! YOU CAN'T TELL HER! I'd be publicly humiliated AND I'd look like an idiot. How can you be so cruel?"

She smiled sweetly. "I am what I am. Deal with it. Now, when are we leaving? I can't wait to meet this Rachel. And see my farm."

"As soon as you pack some clothes. If you hurry, we might get there before sundown."

He could have been talking to a wall because Matt wasn't in the room. She was already in her room grabbing a suitcase and book bag.

"Let's see… I need socks and underwear…" Opening a dresser draw, she pulled out five pairs of jeans. She set them in the bag and turned back to the dresser. Grabbing a handful of pajama pants and old t-shirts she put them in the bag. "Should I bring dress shirts or old tee's?" She decided to grab both.

She reached over to the bookshelf and grabbed a few of her favorite books, a few field guides and her diary. She tossed them in her bag.

She walked over to the closet. Pulling a handful of skirts, and dresses out of her closet she put them into the suitcase quickly. She grabbed her toothbrush, hairbrush and makeup out of her bathroom and jammed them into the already stuffed book bag. She threw a few things that she felt she would need and zipped the bags.

Ten minutes later she came back into the living room with her book bag on her back, her suitcase in her hands, a dog at her heels and a kitten on her shoulder. Seeing the look on Jason's face, she smiled.

"Meet Dusty," she gestured at the dog, "and Leah." She gestured to the cat. "Dusty's a golden retriever and Leah's a Siamese. I have food in the bag along with collars, leashes, and their medical records. Can we go know?"

Jason grinned. "Ready when you are! Go on out to the truck. I'll follow."


	2. Chapter 2: Welcome to the Valley!

CHAPTER 2: 

Welcome to the Valley!

"Are we there yet?" Matt asked, bored out of her skull. "I am extremely impatient and this is testing my amount of control."

Jason grinned. "Chill, okay? We'll be there within the next twenty minutes. Can you wait that long?" he asked, laughing.

"Oh, boo to you." she retorted, folding her arms across her chest. "I have been in this car for who knows how long. I am tired, and so is Leah and Dusty." A few moments of silence passed. "Did I mention I'm claustrophobic?"

Jason sighed. "How about you look out the window and be quiet? I might just drive into a tree if you keep complaining."

Matt stuck out her tongue. "Whatever." She looked out the window at the trees whizzing by. There were few houses around here; it was mostly trees and forest. About ten minutes later they came to a small town.

Jason parked the truck and opened the door. "Welcome to Nater, the town with basically nothing but a few houses. Compared to the Valley though, it's huge." He pointed to a few stores. "There's the post office, the grocery store, the hardware store and a tailor's shop." Seeing her look of confusion he laughed. "Ever hear of the places where you go and have dresses made for you? There's one here."

Matt looked amazed. "If this is how big Nater is, how big is the Valley? There are about thirty houses here! How is this huge?"

"I told you, the Valley has maybe nine houses and about maybe thirty people. It's perfect for farming and raising a family." He gave her a knowing look. "You should consider that in the next year or so."

"What!? I should consider what?"

"Marriage, my dear girl. You need to get married. People in the Valley tend to get married young. You will too."

Matt gave him a look of confusion and anger. "You expect me, me, to get MARRIED?!?! I am only twenty-four! My mom didn't get married until she was like, thirty-three! You are nuts, you know? Totally, absolutely nuts! You have got to be kidding me!"

Jason frowned. "No, I'm not. I'm being completely serious. You really should get married soon. Your dad wanted the farm to be a family farm. He just never had enough time."

Matt fell silent, her retort dying on her lips. Unwanted memories of her father sprang to mind; her father playing with her when she was little, of him visiting her on her birthdays loaded with gifts, him lying on his bed, to sick to move, or do anything for himself brought tears to her eyes. "I'm sorry," she said, lowering her head in order to hide her tears. "I just think I'm to young for marriage. I really don't know what- see this from my point of view. Here I am, almost twenty five and in the prime of my life, A man comes out of the blue and tells me I own a farm because my dad left it to me. Then he tells me I need to get married within the next year or so. What makes you think I'll find any one I'll like, much less love?" She looked at him.

Jason cleared his throat. "There are at least nine men of marriageable age that aren't already married. I figured you would fall in love with one of them."

Matt turned red. "Let's discuss this later, okay? I want to see my farm and it's getting dark."

"Sure thing. Would you like to meet the villagers first? I can show you the farm in the morning and give you a complete tour. It'll be easier this way, trust me."

She sighed. "Wouldn't it be easier just to do all of this tomorrow? I'm tired and I've changed my mind. How about you show me to my house and I'll sleep. When we wake up, you can show me around, okay?"

"Alright. Let's go." He turned and headed down the hill.

"Hey!" He turned around.

"What?" She gestured to the bags. "Oh, right." He picked up the two bags. "Keep an eye on those animals. We don't want them to get lo-" As soon as Matt opened the door Dusty bolted out and headed down hill.

"DUSTY!" She yelled. She closed the car door before Leah could get out and dashed after the dog. "

It was dark, and she stumbled a little. Calling hopelessly to the puppy, she swore under her breath. She saw Dusty and put on a burst of speed. She was going too fast to slow down and fell down, hard. The last thing she remembered thinking before she blacked out was I need to get Dusty!

Next thing she knew was waking up in an unfamiliar bed. She sat up, her head throbbing. Where am I? she thought to herself. Last thing I remember was Dusty. She ran off and… Oh god! I need to find her! With a grunt she pushed herself off the bed.

Looking around she realized she was in a loft. She crawled over to the edge, trying to find the ladder. She gulped; she was afraid of heights. A group of people walked into the room below her. She could hear their voices.

"Is she okay? She took a hard fall." Matt smiled. She recognized Jason's voice.

A woman's gruff voice answered. "She'll be fine. Her head will hurt for a while once she wakes up. She shouldn't have lasting side effects. The worse that could happen is a case of temporary amnesia." She laughed. "Calm down, man! She'll be perfectly okay in a little while."

"Aye. Y'all lucky I hadn't gone back to Nater yet. Romana was more stubborn then usual." The voice sighed, sounding weary. "I swear, she's gotten to be more stubborn then you, Derek!"

A man with a deep voice chuckled. "I doubt that, Max. I didn't get that reputation for no reason, you know."

A girl giggled. "It might be a close race. I'd put my money on you though."

The man spoke again. "Thanks Rachel. I'll remember that later."

Jason sounded tired. "When will she wake up? She's been asleep for almost two hours!"

The man named Max said "Within the hour, I'd wager. She'll be fine." There was some murmuring and then the door opened and closed. Everyone had left.

Matt groaned. She looked down at the ladder and sighed. Steadying herself, she began to climb down. Finally she reached the ground. She stumbled a bit and walked to the door. She pushed it open and was hit by a wave of chilly air. I guess Autumn is cooler here then the city! she thought. I wonder where Dusty is? I hope Jason let Leah out of the car. I'll go check that first.

In the pale moonlight she could make out the path to Nater. She walked up the path. After about ten minutes of walking she stopped. How high does this trail go?! she thought irritably. She sighed. I better keep going. Finally she reached the truck. She found her bags thrown on the ground. She frowned. Muttering under her breath she picked them up.

"Leah, are you in there?" She peered into the car window. Leah's big blue eyes blinked. "Oh my god!" Matt banged on the car door. "Open up damn you!" She pulled on the handle. "It's locked. Oh my god! Leah…" Just then she heard someone behind her.

"Who's there?!" She spun around, staring into the darkness. She could make out a dim shape coming up the path.

"What are you doing?" said the man named Derek. "You're supposed to be sleeping back at the cabin!" He took a step toward her. "Come on. I need to tell everyone that you're safe." He grabbed her hand and tried to pull her along.

Matt felt a fresh daze of dizziness pass through her. "No!" She pulled away. "I need to get Leah out of the truck!" She started to cry. "My baby… my baby…" She was hysterical and she knew it. She was helpless to stop it.

Even in the dark she saw the man's eyes widen. "There's a kid in there?! You have a kid?! Shit! Jason didn't tell us that!" He hurried over to the car and started pulling on the handles.

Matt sighed and wiped her face on her sleeve. "That won't work. The doors are locked." She rose unsteadily to her feet. "Hey, you. Help me!"

"My name is Derek." He said sounding annoyed. He walked over and helped her stand.

"Can you lift me into the back of the truck? I have an idea." He sighed, and next thing she knew she was in the truck. She shook her head to clear it. "Thanks." She crawled over to the window in the back. It was cracked open.

"Yes!" she cried triumphantly. Matt pulled on it and lowered it more. "Leah, come here!" She heard the kitten squeeze through the window and felt her hop into her arms.

"Are you okay, Leah? I'm so sorry…" The cat purred and rubbed up against her. Matt smiled. "I am so tired…" With that said, she began to doze. The last thing she heard was Derek's voice telling her not to go to sleep.

Derek sighed. "Girl! You aren't supposed to sleep! It's freezing out here! AND you're wearing shorts!" He climbed over the back of the truck and saw she was already asleep. He bent to pick her up and found a cat on her lap. "You're Leah, aren't you?" He asked dryly. "Come on then. Let's go somewhere warm."

Leah hopped off of Matt. Derek picked her up and hopped out of the truck. "Come on, girl! Let's go." The cat meowed in response and jumped onto his shoulder. He started for the valley.

He looked down at the girl. She looks so vulnerable! he thought, with a sigh. She's supposed to be the new farmer?! She looks like the animals would have to look after her! Not the other way around! How is she going to take care of a farm? One bushel of fodder would probably be to heavy f- Matt sighed in her sleep and snuggled closer to him. He blushed and walked faster. I need to get her back to Jason before he strokes out! I wonder how they know each other? She's pretty, he thought, blushing a deeper crimson. I bet they're going out or something. He couldn't explain why that saddened him and if he could explain, he wouldn't have.

Matt woke up again in an unfamiliar bed, but this time she felt a rough tongue licking her face. "Dusty, down! No! Do-" Dusty licked her once more and sat down. Matt blinked to clear her eyes and looked around. "Now where am I?" She asked the dog, only half-kidding.

"You're in Rachel's room." A voice answered her with a trace of amusement. "You must be tired of waking in different beds."

She looked over at who was speaking. "Derek?"

"You remembered my name!" He said, sounding pleased. "I figured you'd have forgotten, since you've practically given yourself a concussion twice." Matt took a long look at him. He had sandy brown hair that was at the point where it would soon need a trim. He had chocolate brown eyes that showed his intelligence. All the work he must do on the farm showed; he looked very muscular and handsome. She caught his eye and shivered.

He raised an eyebrow. Matt looked down, her face on fire. Dusty wagged her tail and licked her face. "Where's Jason? And WHERE am I?"

Matt thought she saw a flicker of sadness on his face before he answered. "He's outside. Vesta got tired of him pacing and sent him outside to weed the field. Want me to go get him?"

She shook her head. "No, I'll go to him." She started to climb off the bed but Derek stopped her. "Hey! What's the deal?" She asked angrily.

"You passed out twice last night. I'm not to let you get up until we're sure you're okay." He winced at the look on her face. "I was ordered not to let you up."

"Dusty," Matt said coldly, "Guard!" The little dog hopped off the bed and growled at Derek, fur bristling. Matt stood up. "If you don't mind, I'm going outside." She took a few uneasy steps to the door. She turned back.

"This room is Rachel's, right?" Derek nodded, staring warily at the dog. "Who's room was I in last night? The one in the loft?" Derek looked up and grinned.

"You were in my room. Rachel was sleeping when I found you and brought you here. I also caught the pup." Dusty growled more. "Yes, you." He said, grinning. He looked back up at Matt. "Why?"

Matt turned red. "No reason." She turned and left as fast as she could. Derek grinned and stood up. Dusty sat down and whined.

"Come on pup. Let's go make sure she doesn't hurt herself." He got up and walked to the door with the dog at his heels.

Once outside he looked around for Matt. "Hey, Dusty. Find Matt, okay?" Dusty barked and went sniffing around. Derek headed the opposite direction and saw Matt and Jason. They were in the middle of a deep conversation, or so it looked. He decided to look closer.

He crept around the wood stack and hid behind it. From here I can hear what they're saying! he thought, when a wave of shame swept over him. I shouldn't do this. It's not right… But he didn't move.

"Matt, are you okay? I was so worried!" Jason sounded concerned. "You took a nasty fall."

"I'm fine." Matt said smiling. "My head hurts and I had a dizzy spell a while ago, but I'll be okay."

Are they into each other or not?! Derek thought angrily. Why he was angry he had no idea; It surprised him more then he was willing to admit. He groaned inwardly when he saw Matt hug Jason.

"Jason… I'm sorry. I haven't even been to my farm yet and I'm already causing problems." She sighed. "Maybe I should go back to the city."

"NO!" Jason said forcefully. "You WILL live at the farm. It's what your father wanted."

"Yeah, well, my father wanted me to get married within a year of moving here!" She spat back angrily. "Maybe I don't want to get married! Did you ever consider that?!" She took a deep breath. "None of you have asked what I want to do! Derek said that he was ORDERED to make sure I didn't get up, that I was supposed to just lie around and do nothing! I won't do it!" She folded her arms across her chest.

"Derek was watching you? Rachel was supposed to watch you. And you weren't ordered to stay down! Derek lied to you!" Jason sounded angry. Derek gulped. I'm in trouble. He went to move.

"What?!" Matt sounded shocked. "No! He wouldn't lie to me!" She sounded angry, and looked like she was about to slug him for accusing Derek.

"He must have!" Jason argued. "What makes you think he wouldn't?"

"I DON'T KNOW!" She yelled. "I just know!"

Just then Dusty started barking up a storm. "Dusty!" Matt exclaimed. "I told you to guard Der- I mean, guard the room!" She gave Jason a look. "Oh, shut up."

Derek decided to bolt. He crawled out from behind the wood-pile. Walking as fast as he could, he headed toward the spring. 


End file.
